Cardoso, Miguel

Cardoso, Miguel (later Abraham), a Jewish physician and writer of Spain, was born about 1630. Being a descendant of the Maranos, or New Christians, in the Portuguese city Celorico, he studied medicine with his older brother Fernando. While the latter was given to his studies, Miguel spent his time in the dolce fur niente, sat under the balconies of ladies, and amused them with his songs. He quitted Spain, probably with his brother, went to Venice, and there both of them openly professed Judaism. Abraham 'Michael Cardoso, as he was now called, practiced medicine at Leghorn, but did not meet with success. When the bey of Tripolis was in search of a physician, the duke of Tuscany recommended Cardoso. But Cardoso having become a student of the Cabala. and an adherent of the pseudo Messiah Sabbatai Zebi (q.v.), he only saw visions and spoke of dreams,. and, instead of attending to his profession, he preached and wrote in behalf of the pseudo-Messiah. In the end, Cardoso was driven from Tripolis, and died in 1706, He wrote, זה אלי, a Cabalistic apology of Sabbataism : — וכוח כללי, also in favor of Sabbataism: — בקר לאברהם, against the opponents of the Cabala, etc. See Furst, Bibl. Jud. i, 142; Griitz, Gesch. di. Juden, x, 253 sq.; Jost, Gesch. d. Juden. u. s. Sekten, iii, 158,174. (B. P.)